Most students who enroll in a program to obtain a Master of Education (M.Ed.) in Educational Technology Leadership do so to enhance their current employment situation or to advance to a higher career level and improve their earning potential. Many of them have earned a bachelor’s degree and are licensed and certified educators who now are seeking to increase their knowledge of instructional applications of emerging technologies, their leadership skills and employment opportunities by working in educational technology. This can be accomplished through the increased responsibility of designing, evaluating and implementing technology-based curriculum and projects into the classrooms of elementary, middle and secondary schools, and institutes of higher education.
Educational technology specialists can do more than just work with computers and technology-based teaching tools. Their jobs in educational technology can have an impact on learning and teaching processes in numerous ways. Highly sought after by employers in a variety of fields, educational technology leadership graduates may be in greater demand as technology advances in every aspect of daily life throughout the world.
Job options for technology teachers
The field of educational technology leadership is broad and filled with a range of career opportunities in the academic arena. New K-12 job titles and positions include chief technology officer, director of technology, technology coordinator, curriculum coordinator or curriculum developer, and director of training or training manager.
Other K-12 career opportunities for those qualified in educational technology leadership include technology specialist for a school, county or district; director of instructional services; instructional technology supervisor; program administrator; evaluation specialist; technology integrator; implementation and training specialist; digital learning specialist; e-learning technologist; director of a virtual high school; test center manager; educational researcher; and educational consultant or learning solutions consultant.
For those interested in higher education, a M.Ed. in Educational Technology Leadership can position them to teach in a two-year or a four-year college or university and to assume the responsibilities of a department head, dean or provost.
In the corporate arena, a few of the positions available to those qualified as leaders in educational technology include chief technology officer, chief information officer, project manager or project director, training director or training developer, educational researcher, instructional designer, instructional systems specialist, professional training coordinator, corporate training and development specialist, and learning and development specialist. Educational technologists might work for a nonprofit organization, a hospital, a Fortune 500 company, a state or federal agency, or as a sales representative for a publisher of educational technology products.
Others may wish to start a consulting company, working with software developers, writing training materials, and designing professional development series. Academic consultants can work with faculties of a school, a district or a local educational agency to help implement and evaluate innovative educational technology programs, and they can also provide one-on-one coaching to teachers on the integration and uses of technology.
Earning a Master of Education in Educational Technology Leadership could advance a teacher’s career, whether in the academic field or the corporate world, as well as lead to higher-paying jobs. Several colleges and universities offer master’s degrees in educational technology leadership, and many of them offer courses online.
Sources:
http://chronicle.com/jobs
www.ecampusnews.com/technologies/ed-digital-policy-575/
